I've gotten used to the convenience of my Ricoh GR. I love carrying it with me wherever I go. However, I found dust on the sensor today. Dust on a closed body camera? How can that be? I contacted Amazon and will have to send it back. I'll miss having it with me and am afraid I'll fall behind on my posts; I may even have to skip a few until the replacement arrives.

The sunset looked like it was going to be great, so I drug Cynthia down a long road, deep into the woods, to Sunset Shores. She is a city girl and is petrified when you go down small roads. I told her that if she heard banjos, we had to run. It was a lackluster sunset, but I had great fun scaring Cynthia.

My Beloved and I met up again at the river to watch the sunset. We also met an older couple, John and Maxine Winters, who were there to watch it too. Mr. Winters entertained me with stories from his travels all over the world. When the mosquitoes came out, we headed to Sonic to grab a half-price milkshake and to catch up on the happenings of the day.

Hubby had a softball camp in Tuscaloosa today. Although we had to get up very early, it wasn't all bad; while he was at the camp, I went to the bookstore and did a little shopping. Afterwards, we stopped by to visit a cousin I had not seen in more than 30 years. This is one of the old plantation homes found in the area.

Like most of the country, today we suffered through the second day of below-freezing weather. While it wasn't as bad as other areas, to have 12-degree mornings for a prolonged period is difficult in the South. Many fruit trees were lost and pipes frozen. Even dressing warmly is difficult given many don't own a heavy jacket.

Although we were given so many blessings in 2013, it was a very tough year. I'm happy to turn the page on the calender; ready for a fresh start.

Many of my friends and loved ones have also faced losses, trials, and disappointments throughout the year. But often with those trials, when we're low down in the valley, we tend to reach out more to our Maker. Through our reliance on Him, we are brought into a closer spiritual relationship. For that we should all be thankful. The toughest part of that relationship for me has and always will be surrender--giving in and allowing Him total control of a situation. I'll admit it, I like keeping control of everything, so letting go is always a huge step of faith. But He never fails me. Many tears were shed throughout the year, tough decisions, and worries. I truly don't know how we would have made it without His guidance and love. So very thankful that He carried us through many hard times. I hope you and your loved ones have a very blessed new year.

"You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you trust more." (Rick Warren)